Just in Time
by SecretlyYourName
Summary: Shikamaru wanted to let Sakura know how much he loves her, but a lot had got into his way to do so. Sakura, who realized that she is in love with him, but didn't let him know, thought that he likes another girl. What will happen between with the both of them on a faithful night in Sakura's hospital office alone after Ino drop him off after getting injured during a mission?


"Finally! I can go home and rest." The pinkette blossom of Konoha said to herself, ready to leave the hospital after a very exhausting day full of different patients.

"Take care, Sakura." Shizune waved at her with a smile.

"You, too." She smiled back after walking towards the exit of the hospital.

"Not so fast, billboard brow!" Shouted a blonde so sudden after opening the door widely, showing her with an exhausted man.

The man Sakura is in love with.

"Good evening to you, too, pig." Sakura said awkwardly with a raised eyebrow after averting her gaze at Ino's left hand that is gripping the man's wrist.

"What happened, Shikamaru?" She gasped.

Just now did she realize that his head is slightly bleeding and there are bruises and scratches on his exposed arms.

"Just got home from a troublesome mission." He murmured, finally looking up at her.

Their eyes locked and she felt butterflies in her stomach. He looks into her eyes so deep, as if he could see through her, making her heart beat fast.

Shikamaru ached for her, so bad. Little does she knows it and not even a clue from each other that they're both waiting for each other.

"I know you're dying to go home, seeing you so tired and haggard." Ino teased and she just rolled her eyes at her best friend after ruining her eye contact with Shikamaru.

"I know I'm haggard, Ino. You don't have to always point it out." She replied.

"Take care of Shika for me, will ya'? It wont take that long, anyway." She asked and Sakura nodded.

"I told you that I can manage, Ino. Besides, Sakura needs to rest. Don't you know how many patients she's been handling lately?" He glared at the girl beside her and Sakura can't help but blush a bit.

When they were little, Sakura noticed that the lazy guy in front of her was somehow staring at her once in a while in the academy. She didn't really paid attention to it and didn't mind, since she was infatuated with a certain raven. Sasuke has the looks and brain, but she realized that it wasn't enough as they grew older. When they became teenagers, she realized that Shikamaru was still giving her the weird looks, stares and somehow, he was a bit different towards her. Her feelings for Sasuke faded at the age of thirteen and she focused on training, friends and to make herself a better person and have a better life. There were times when she somehow felt jealous towards other girls, especially at Ino for the girl and Shikamaru are best friends, as well. She started to have an unknown and new feeling towards Shikamaru that she can't point out and on her twentieth birthday, Shikamaru asked her out on a fancy dinner date and that night became on of the best nights she ever had.

That's the night when she realized that maybe... just maybe... she's in love with him.

She never had the chance to ask him about such, so she just let things be and happen. But they are not teenagers anymore, so they were assigned on different missions that take quite time, especially him. She's always here in the hospital while he is leading different teams, mostly the Anbu.

If he digs me, he should've confessed a long time ago. He barely shows affection and talks to me like a normal friend only, so, maybe that's just what's best for us... friends.

"Sakura!" Ino waved a hand in front of her and she was startled by the loud noise.

"I-I'm sorry. Let's go?" She asked him and he just nodded.

"Good. I'll be going now, forehead." The blonde smirked and shot a knowing look at Shikamaru. "Nighty, Shizune!" Ino shouted at the girl behind her with a huge smile, something that seems to have a meaning, before turning her heels and walking out of the hospital.

"I am so sorry, Sakura." Shikamaru said lazily, sincerity in his eyes as he stared into hers.

"No worries." She assured him, giving him a slight smiled before turning around and started walking towards her office.

She's been working here for years and she just got her office last year. It's really nice and a bit larger than she expected. She doesn't really check her patients there, for there is another room for check-ups. Only her friends and family are the ones she check and heal there.

He wanted to start a conversation, and since they are friends, he thinks that it's normal to do so. Being a gentleman and the man between the both of them, he did.

"So, how are you?" He asked as he started walking beside her, so near that she's just trying to calm herself down.

"I-I'm fine. I'm not given any missions yet for months now, and like you said, I have a lot of patients lately." She replied and looked up at him.

He's like a head taller than her and she can't help but stare. He's really handsome with a smoking hot body and even with the lazy face and husky voice, it suits him.

"I see." He looked at her, too.

He loves it when she's suddenly acting all shy with him.

"How about you?" She asked, breaking the eye contact and looking down at her steps, instead.

"Been hit on the head real hard, as you see." He replied.

"How?" She asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but failed as the concern showed more than it should.

"There were unexpected enemies, and we don't have any choice but to fight. They were stronger than they look and we almost lose, but I wouldn't let that happen." She looked at him and he was smirking while looking straight ahead.

"My team were completely unable to fight anymore, so I let them sit on a tree and I told them to let me handle the situation. I got them pretty good with my shadows, but there's this huge guy that seems to really want to kill me for hurting them pretty bad. I was caught off guard that time when he grabbed me by my hair and hit my head, hard, on a tree." Her eyes widened and I gasped.

"We need to heal that up, now." She held his wrist unintentionally and as I looked at our way, he started laughing.

Sakura was beet red, realizing we missed my offices a few rooms now.

"I believe that we've missed your office." He smirked at her and she glared at him.

"Shut up." She let him go as soon as I realized that I shouldn't of done that and started walking towards my office.

"Are you sure that you're fine?" He was suddenly beside her again and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Y-yeah." Sakura didn't bother taking his arm off of me and opened the door.

Before she could even close the door, he did it and locked it. Sakura's heart started to beat faster as Shikamaru suddenly pinned her against the wall beside her door. She looked at him and his face quickly came closer to hers, their nose touching and Sakura could feel Shikamaru's breath against her skin.

Shikamaru can't wait any longer and since they are both very busy ninjas, this is the great time for him to confess and clear things up.

 _It's now or never._ He thought to himself.

"Remember when I took you out on your twentieth birthday?" He whispered and the pinkette slowly nodded.

"That was my first move... I wanted to finally court you properly that time, but I became super busy. A lot happened, and Temari..." Her heart ached at the mention of his admirer's name.

That girl is gorgeous, sexy and she's not just perfect, but she and Shikamaru is a pair.

"You all know she likes me, and... I just don't know how to tell her that we can't be together and that I can't return her feelings back. When I did told her, she won't stop asking me why... I wanted to tell her that I'm in love with you, but I wanted you to know that first. I've never told anyone about my feelings for you, even if everyone, especially Ino and Choji, started asking me countless times already for I am becoming obvious. Now that Temari finally gave up, here's my chance..." He smiled at her and my eyes are going all watery.

"I love you, Sakura." He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Her soft voice broke and his eyes snapped open, looking intently into mine.

"I... I love you, too." Sakura finally admitted and tears started falling down my cheeks.

He was more than happy and relieved from what he heard, but he was most likely concern to see her in tears.

"Hey, hey..." Shikamaru whispered, cupping her cheeks and wiping the tears away with his thumbs.

"Why are you crying?" He asked.

"I..." Her arms wrapped around his waist and she buried her head on his chest.

"I-I'm sorry, Shikamaru... I-It's just that... I, I thought that we're just better off friends, and that- that maybe, you did liked me back then, b-ut realized that... I wasn't good enough, since a lot... a lot of girls started to go head over heels for you, and maybe you fell for Temari, and... you're really famous now, and... I'm just...-"

"What the fuck are you saying, Sakura?" He held her head gently and made me face him.

He can't believe that the most happiest and perfect girl he knew thinks that she's not good enough.

"Look into my eyes." He demanded, so she hesitantly did.

"That's shit, Sakura. You? Not good enough?" He narrowed his eyes at her, concern written all over his face.

"You want girls that are sexy. I-I'm not. Who wants ugly girls like me, too? I'm horrible." Sakura was about to cover her face with her hands, but he quickly held her wrists and kissed her.

She was frozen, but tried to resist as soon as she recovered. He won't stop, so she finally gave in and kissed back. He held her hips with his hands and lifted her up, backing her against the wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist. She rested an arm on his shoulder with a hand through his hair while the other is around his neck. One of his hands started to make its way on her cheek while the other one held her in place.

 _No one will make me stop making her feel special tonight._ He thought.

"You're... not ugly..." He murmured between kissed.

"Even if... you're... a bit skinny... I still... accept you." He continued.

"You're... not horrible... and every inch... of you... is perfect..." He pulled away from the kiss and looked straight into her eyes.

"and, I love you. Ever since. Nobody could ever replace you, Sakura. You're perfect. I want you and I'd choose you than every other girl in this world." Shikamaru finished and Sakura bit her lower lip, not knowing what to say.

"Since when have you think of yourself like that?" He asked, pissed.

"... Ever sin-"

"You're wrong. You should've told me, I should've known and... wrong. It's wrong." He rested his forehead against hers and sighed.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered.

"What a drag." He closed the gap between them and kissed her again.

Sakura cupped his cheeks and he pulled away.

"I knew that those lips of yours are more addicting than they look, but I never thought that it could be this irresistible." He started pecking her lips again and again, making her giggle.

He stopped and chuckled a bit, looking into her eyes and they were both smiling.

"... You're my girlfriend now?" He asked.

"Well... tell my why you just asked me now and didn't tell me before?" She asked, remembering her unanswered question.

"Well, I never thought that you'd have feelings for me. But as time goes by, I somehow think that you dig me, even just a little bit. Also, I heard you and Ino talking one time during our teenage years and she asked you about relationships, since she got her first boyfriend that time, which is Sai, and you told her that you don't want to have a boyfriend until you're not a teenager anymore. After hearing that, I decided to make a move on you on your twentieth birthday, since you're finally not a teenager that time. I'm not too late now, am I? You're just twenty one." He explained and she can't help but give him a peck on the lips.

"Just in time." She replied.

"I love you, Sakura."

"I love you, too, Shikamaru."

* * *

 _ **This is my first ShikaSaku story! Sorry for the errors. I have other stories on Wattpad, too. (ChristienDenise) This is my first time writing on and honestly, I don't know how it works here yet. I'm still having some difficulties As soon as I figure it all out, I'll make a bunch of stories. Thank you for reading and please, comment me what you think and share this story of mine to others. God bless! :)**_


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